Associations between self-compassion and suicidal ideation among college students: the serial mediating roles of meaning in life and psychological resilience and the moderating role of perceived stress

Background Suicidal ideation is a critical concern among college students. We examined self-compassion as a key protective quality and its links with suicidal ideation. Our model places meaning in life and psychological resilience in a serial path between these variables and treats perceived stress as a contextual factor. Methods We carried out a survey and asked students to complete the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the short form of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the short Perceived Stress Scale. With 905 valid questionnaires, we used partial least squares structural equation modeling to explore links among these variables. Results Self-compassion and suicidal ideation moved in opposite directions at the direct path level ( β = −0.139, p = 0.004). An indirect effect also ran through a chain that first involved meaning in life and then psychological resilience ( β = −0.008, p = 0.030). The product term of self-compassion and perceived stress showed a positive link with meaning in life ( β = 0.333, p < 0.001), and this link was stronger when students reported higher stress. Conclusion Overall, self-compassion shows a protective pattern for suicidal ideation through meaning in life and psychological resilience, especially in high-stress situations. These results give useful ideas for designing campus mental health programs for college students.